DE3028281A1 - LOCKING ARRANGEMENT - Google Patents

Description

Locking arrangement

The present invention relates to multi-part closures for sterile containers. In particular, the invention relates to a Sterilizable compound closure arrangement with an outer pull ring for easy opening of sterile containers for pharmaceuticals and the like -

In general, closures for containers for pharmaceuticals and the like. Can keep the container inside sterile so that the The contents of the container remain free from contamination. In this case, the structure and material of the closure arrangement must match the sterilization process can withstand occurring conditions. A sterilizable closure must also be easy to open, however be tamper-proof, so that it does not open unintentionally or shows itself visibly when it has been opened.

130037/0296

There are numerous attempts to achieve all of these goals and to achieve a convenient and secure seal not been completely successful. It is known to have access to a pierceable sealing plug made of rubber or the like. To create material that is held by a metal cap with a removable disc-shaped part. the U.S. Patent 2,465,269 teaches a disc which is separable from the cap along curved slots, but with the cap on a ring-shaped circumferential part of the same is connected via tearable ribs. Such a conclusion is not only difficult to open because the user has to lift off the pane; through the weakening slits on the closure the stopper under it can also be contaminated.

It is also known to provide a cover element which is connected to an internal removable disk part and Is removable via tearable bridge elements. The disk has an opening through which an attachment of the cover element protrudes downwardly into the opening in order to fix the cover element on the disc part of the outer shell. The closure is opened by the user, for example with his thumb, the cover on the Outer edge of the cap pushes protruding parts upwards, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 3,071,274.

There are also other variants of a cover element constructed as above known, which is connected to a separable disc-shaped part. U.S. Patent 3,193,128 teaches the approach of the cover element made of a shaped ("reformed") hard plastic that can be torn open so that the There is no need to provide a removable disc in the metal jacket. Contains another locking arrangement instead of the tearable connecting bridges, a line of weakness which forms a removable disc of the metal jacket;

1 3 Ω; ? 6 7/0 2 9 5

See U.S. Patent 3,587,897. Reshaped plastic is in this patent also mentions for connecting the cover element to the removable disc.

Another variant is shown in US Pat. No. 3,358,865 which has an upwardly protruding button on a disc member of the sheath, which is removable by breaking open bridge elements. The button runs through an opening in the Cover element through and rests on the main part of the cover element in order to fix it in the jacket.

Finally, it is known from the prior art to use pull rings to open containers. Although their teaching for Sterile container is not suitable, US-PS 3,612.34ο gives a container closure with a metal cap with a tear strip and a sealing lining. On the cap there is a pull tab on a part of a removable rivet Fastened higher surface part, which surrounds a line of weakness and which is removed by pulling on the tab can be. It is also known to provide a stopper with a grip ring which is received in an annular space which is provided in and around the plug; See U.S. Patent 3.75o.82o. A closure for one sterile closure can also have a cap with a depending apron and an end wall part in which a tear-off Part is formed in one piece. This tear-off part is formed with a weakening groove and can be fitted with a pull ring be removed, which is formed in one piece with the tear-off part; See U.S. Patent 3,888,377.

These known closures for sterile packaging are not without problems. The lance-shaped design ("lancing")

1 3 0 0 G 7/0 2 9 5

Some container closures can contaminate the stopper. Is used to manufacture the closure assemblies formed plastic, the manufacturing processes are difficult to control so that the closure order cracks or breaks in the desired manner. Furthermore, you may not get a tight seal Closure - for example, if you put a stopper made of molded hard plastic into a hole in a closure cap begins. The subsequent sterilization can also adversely affect the security of the closure. Another one The problem with closures with an outer cap is that they cannot be opened easily enough. So that the lock only with If the pressure of the thumb is easy to open, the manufacturing tolerances of breakable bridges and weakening lines must be strictly adhered to will. There is therefore a need for a sterilizable closure assembly that keeps the interior of the container sterile, but is easier to open than known closures.

The present invention provides a closure assembly comprising a ferrule-shaped cap having a top ring portion and a from the outer edge of the upper part hanging apron, which fixes the closure on a container. The upper part has at least an upwardly protruding locking element on the periphery of a central opening around the upper ring portion and a Line of weakness outside of the locking element and concentric with the central opening. An attachment lies over the cap with this in contact and locked and has a disc part which passes through in the central opening of the upper part of the cap the locking element is fixed, as well as a concentric outer lifting ring, which hinge-like with the inner Disc part is connected.

The lock is opened by placing the concentric outer ring of the attachment on one of the hinge diametrically

130067/02 9 B.

opposite point raises so that it bends in the hinge area and a downward force on the upper part of the Cap and an upward force on the locking elements act to tear the closure assembly at the lines of weakness. With further lifting of the ring, the disc part of the attachment and the locking elements of the cap are lifted so that the sterile closure element is exposed. Furthermore, the closure arrangement may contain an elastic element which the container mouth seals tightly and has upwardly protruding circumferential sealing projections.

The present invention thus provides a closure assembly that is easy to open and for containers with narrower and wider Mouth is suitable. The locking arrangement can also be achieved by adding one or more breakable bridges, which connect the disc with the outer concentric ring part, can be made tamper-proof. Such a locking arrangement is still easier to manufacture, since the gain in work caused by the ring tension, the manufacturing tolerances of the weakening lines and breakable bridges less makes critical.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the latch assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the pull ring attachment according to FIG present invention;

130 OG 7/0295

302828t

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the cap member of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a section through the closure arrangement on the plane IV-IV of Figs

FIG. 5 is a section through the closure assembly on the plane V-V of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the closure arrangement Io has a Ring attachment 12, which is engaged in upwardly projecting locking elements 18 of a cap 3o. The ring attachment 12 has a disk part 16 and a concentric outer ring part 14, which are flexible via a hinge web 22 and a bridge 24 are connected to one another in a breakable manner. The disc part 16 has arcuate ribs 2o on the outer edge of the disc part which are in locking engagement with the elements 18 of the ferrule 3o. The shutter assembly is opened by the outer concentric ring 14 is lifted so that the bridge 24 breaks open and the ring around the hinge web 22 pivots. Upon further lifting, the removable locking elements 18 separate from the cap 3o along the (in this Representation of not visible) lines of weakness under the outer ring 14, so that there is access to the sterile container.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment Disc 16 is substantially circular and flat and has an arcuate rib 20 which goes up around the disc protrudes. "Up" is intended to refer to the direction from a container provided with the closure upwards away j "downwards" runs the opposite direction to this. The ribs 2o can run continuously around the entire circumference of the disk IS, as shown in FIG. 2, or with intermediate

130067 / 029B

clear around the circumference of the disc part 16 distributed individually. Alternatively, in the disk 16 Provide slots or depressions in place of the protruding ribs. The disc 16 can have different diameters are available as required for containers with relatively small and large mouth diameters to be usable.

In general, the outer ring 14 is concentric with the disc portion 16 extending around this and arranged at a distance from it. The ring 14 is with the disc 16 via a flexible hinge web 22 connected, which can be supplemented by a breakable bridge 24. Preferably the Ring 14 and disk 16 are also connected to one another by at least one breakable bridge element 24, which is preferably the hinge web 22 is diametrically opposite. A lifting bar 28 can be provided on the outer ring 14, which is diametrically the hinge web 22 opposite and protrudes at the bridge 24 from the outer edge of the ring 14. This lifting bar 28 facilitates the lifting of the outer ring 14 when the lock is opened and also serves as a guide when the ring attachment is put on 12 on the cap 3o.

The ring attachment 12 can be made from a variety of materials be. However, it is preferably made of a hard plastic that is easy to manufacture and a container mouth can seal and keep sterile without problems. A preferred material is polypropylene.

As FIG. 3 shows, the cap 3o has an annular upper part 32, a depending skirt part 33 (in this Representation not visible) and a central opening 33 in

1300 0 7/0295

- Io -

a circumferential annular edge part 32. Around the center opening Upwardly protruding locking elements 18 extend around 33 and extend essentially around the entire circumference of the opening 33 walk around. At least one such element 18 is required. Preferably two essentially identical ones are seen and the central opening arcuately encompassing projections diametrically opposite one another. Alternatively, it can be the elements 18 are a plurality of individual locking projections into which individual ribs on the disk 16 engage can. The locking elements 18 preferably have an upper part which is rolled or bent radially inwards and downwards (Compare the complete closure arrangement lo, as shown in Fig. it represents). Although FIG. 3 shows the projections 18 in their rolled-over state after assembly, it is a matter of fact Before they are assembled with the attachment 12, they are planar elements that run radially along a curved path inward of the line of weakness 36 protrude vertically upward.

Fig. 3 shows two locking elements 18, which along an arcuate Web are passed around the opening 33 and separate the two access openings 34 from each other, in the diameter direction are shown opposite one another. Each opening 34 is an extension of the central opening 33 and merges into this and forms an area in which the ends of the locking elements 18 are spaced from one another. These Openings 34 are provided so that the attachment 12 can interact with the cap 3o in order to gain access to the hinge web 22 and bridge 24 to allow the latch assembly to open, as described below. At least one access opening 34 is required for alignment with the hinge web 22 of the attachment 12.

A line of weakness 36 - preferably a score line - is radially outward and concentric with the upwardly protruding

1 30067 / 029S

existing locking elements 18 shown. The line of weakness 36 comprises an area which can be separated out. Fig. 3 shows two curved sections of line 36 intersecting openings 34 to form a separable sector of the To form cap 3o so that the elements 18 can easily detach from the cap 3o when the closure assemblies are opened. Alternatively, all of the cutout openings 34 can be located within the sector formed by the line of weakness 36 so that they are not intersected by the line of weakness 36. However, there are preferably two openings 34 intended. The weakening line 36 intersects an alignment opening 34 for the hinge web 22 of the attachment 12, while the second alignment opening 34 for the bridge 24 of the Attachment 12 is located within the detachable sector.

The cap 3o can consist of different material compositions. Preferably it is made of a metal material such as Aluminum is made which has the strength and formability that the cap maintains its shape and an elastic one Element in the mouth of the container, as shown in Fig. 4, can hold tightly.

The closure arrangement Io is shown in FIG. 4 on the muzzle of a container 42 - for example a bottle - and places a closure element or stopper 4o there fixed. In a conventional manner, the skirt 38 of the cap 3o is bent inwardly on the shoulder 51 of the container mouth Ends 52 of the apron 38 are set. The plug 4o is fixed in the mouth of the container so that it closes tightly rests on the top 53 of the container mouth. The plug 4o can contain a centrally located cavity 41, which opens down into the bottle, as is known.

13006 7/0296

The closure arrangement Io is with the ring attachment 12 over and shown on the cap 3o. In the assembled state, the outer ring 14 rests on the upper part 32 of the cap 3o this on. The locking projections 18 protrude upward through the space 26 between the outer ring 14 and the disk part 16 of the essay 12 before. The locking projections 18 are rolled radially inward and downward so that they are inserted and inwardly around the arched ribs 2o of the disk part 16 of the attachment 12 are firmly wrapped. The line of weakness 36 concentric with and radially outward from the locking elements 18 is located under part of the outer lifting ring 14 of the attachment 12. The engagement of the cap 3o in The attachment 12 fixes the disk 16 against the upper part 48 of the stopper 4o. Although the underside of the disc 16 is immediate can rest on the surface 48 of the plug 4o, one sees preferably an inner and an outer ring-shaped circumferential sealing strip 44 or 46, to which the contact takes place. These two ring strips are each ring-shaped closed on the top 48 of the stopper 4o and protrude from the sterile top 48 of the stopper 4o so that that a gap 5o between the upper side 48 of the plug 4o and the underside of the disk part 16 is created. While If at least one ring strip 44 is present, a further ring strip 46 can also be seen concentrically outside the ring bar 44, so that a double conclusion is created. These ring strips close the stopper tightly against the disc so that a sterile condition is maintained on the top side 48 of the stopper. As Fig. 1 shows, a part of the stopper 4o can be visible or accessible from outside the closure arrangement. The area is 49 accessible radially outside of the ring strips 44, 46.

1 3 0 G 8 7/0 2 9 p

Fig. 5 shows a breakable bridge 2- as a connection between the outer ring 14 and the disc 16 on the curved Rib 2o. The hinge web 22, which also has the outer ring 14, lies opposite the bridge in the diameter direction connects to the rib 2o of the disk 16.

In order, as shown in FIG. 5, to open the shutter, one pushes upwards, for example with the thumb or a finger against the strip 28 on the outer ring 14 until the bridge 24 breaks. Then the outer ring 14 detaches from the inner disk part 16; the hinge web 22 remains intact. If the outer ring 14 is connected to the disc 16 via more than one bridge 24, the bridges break open one after the other while the outer ring is raised further. While the outer ring 14 is raised is (see. The dashed line) and pivots about the hinge web 22, causes the pivoting about the Hinge web 22 that the lower part of the ring 14 exerts a downward force on the upper ring part 32 of the cap 3o and exerts an upward force on the projections 18 in the area at the line of weakness 36. The hobbing area 54 on the upper ring part 32 generates an upward force acting on the inner edge of the ring 14, which via the Hinge web 22 is transmitted as an upward force and the Rib 2o and the disc 16 given a movement in which an upward pressure is created against the projections 18 of the cap 3o, so that the line of weakness 36 at the rolling area 54 tears. With a further upward movement of the outer ring tears open the entire line of weakness 36 and detach the projections 18 from the cap 3o and the disc 16 of the attachment 12, which is engaged with the projections 18. When the disc 16 is lifted off, the sterile upper side 48 is of the plug 4o exposed. The sterile container can now be used in a conventional manner without the top 48, for example by dabbing with an antiseptic - stop

130067/0296

must be sterilized.

The ring system according to the present invention is based on a longer lever arm about the diameter of the ring and a shorter lever arm of approximately the distance between the hinge web and the rolling area on the underside of the Rings 14, whereby one achieves a higher gain in labor than with the resolutions according to the prior art. With this More labor can be gained, and more and more solid sealing material can be removed and a larger access hole for the sterile container stopper produce. As a result of the additional leverage that can be achieved with the ring system according to the present invention the manufacturing tolerances are less critical, so that the manufacturing costs decrease. As a result of the additional Leverage can break through stronger and thicker elements, such as the remnants of lines of weakness and breakable Bridges, the dimensional tolerances for such structural elements are less critical.

130067/0295

Blank page

Claims (1)

BERLIN 33 SMÜNCHEN80 Auguste-Viktoria-StraBe 65 Π. ΟΙΙΟΛϋΙ / Ε i DADTMCD PlenzeiwuerttraS · Pat.-Anw. Or. Lrm. Ruschk · L "· KUbl / HISt afc KAKINtK P« t-Am * DIpI-Ing £? Α? Ρ | -Γη8 PATENTANWÄLTE Η ε *** BERLIN - MÖNCHEN Te I β g ram m address: Quadratur Berlin «R. .. 1QQn i? L <flJT * il? 'I TELEX · 183786 July 25, 1980 Quadrature Munich TELEX: 522767 A 1828 A ALUMINUM COMPANY OF AMERICA, Alcoa Building, Pittsburgh / Pennsylvania / USA Patent claims 1. Closure arrangement, characterized by a ferrule-shaped cap with an annular upper part and an apron hanging down from the outer edge of the upper part, with which the closure is fixed on a container, wherein the upper part has at least one upwardly protruding locking element on the circumference of a central opening in the upper part and one Has line of weakness, which lies radially outward of the locking element and concentric with the central opening, and through an attachment which is arranged on the cap in contact with the latter and locked and in the central opening of the upper part the cap is fixed by the locking elements, with an outer lifting ring hinge-like on the inner disk part is attached. 13 0 ':. 7/0 2 9 5 BATH ORIGINAL 2. Closure arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap protrudes a plurality of upwards Has locking elements which run in an arc-shaped manner around the central opening of the annular upper part, wherein the locking elements with mutually facing ends are spaced apart in a first region in which the disk part of the attachment is connected to the outer lifting ring in a hinge-like manner. 3. Closure arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the locking elements in a second area have spaced ends. 4. A closure arrangement according to claim 3, characterized by a breakable element, which is the outer Lifting ring and the disc part of the attachment in the second area connects. 5. Closure arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an elastic element for closing a container mouth. 6. Closure arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the elastic element has an annular shape has circumferential and tightly sealing projection which protrudes upwards from its top. 1 3 0 0 C 7/0 2 9 5